Capsule for the preparation of a beverage embedding an identification element

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a capsule for the preparation of a beverage. The capsule includes first and second covering walls connected for forming a cavity containing a beverage ingredient and a contactless identifying element for identifying the capsule by detecting the identifying element using the detector of a beverage producing device. The identifying element is preferably disposed in the cavity.

This application is a 371 filing of International Patent ApplicationPCT/EP2010/058684 filed Jun. 21, 2010.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to a capsule for the preparation of abeverage such as in a beverage producing machine, for instance, a coffeemachine. The invention more particularly relates to a capsule comprisingan identification element for enabling the detecting of the capsuleinserted in the beverage producing machine. The invention also relatesto a beverage producing device adapted to receive the capsule and to thecombination of the two as a “system”.

Beverage producing systems have been developed for many years on thebasis of portioned beverages, in particular, capsules containing apredetermined dose of beverage ingredient such as coffee, tea, milkpowder and the like. The numerous advantages of such systems have beenwidely recognized, in particular, their convenience of use, cleanoperations and better controlled quality of the brewed beveragedelivered.

The term “capsule” is here used to designate packets, pods or cartridgesas well.

It is known to associate a radio frequency (RF) identifier to thecapsule for the purpose of recognizing the capsule which is inserted inthe device such as by a reader. Such identification allows changingparticular operations, in the beverage producing device, in response tothe detection of the identifier. For instance, brewing operations can bemodified accordingly for adapting them to the type of capsule detected.For instance, brewing parameters, such as water temperature, thebeverage volume or others, can be changed.

WO02/28241 relates to an encoded coffee packet including a machineinterpretable feature on the capsule, for instance, electromagneticallydetectable, e.g., a magnetic data storage medium.

WO2005/044067 relates to a receptacle for preparing a beveragecomprising a magnetic ribbon placed on the inside wall of thereceptacle; the longer dimension of the ribbon extendingcircumferentially around the receptacle. To be correctly read by amagnetic reader, a relative rotating movement between the receptacle andreader is necessary.

FR2912124 relates to a portioned package for preparation of a beveragecomprising two flexible walls connected by their seam and comprising anRFID tag for contactless reading which is positioned in a reinforcedperipheral portion at the seam of the package.

EP1890271A1 relates to a method of controlling the dispensing of aninfusion product with a container for a product dose and an RFID tagassociated to a respective number of containers.

EP1755090A1 relates to a device for identification and verification ofitems with refundable deposit in particular for recycling glass or PETbottles using a magnetic, electromagnetic and/or optical identificationmeans such as labels applied onto the items.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,747,559 relates to glass-coated amorphous magneticmicro-wire marker for an article surveillance.

The prior art solutions typically contemplate the association of acontactless identifier such as a radio-frequency tag with the beverageportioned package. The package generally forms the support for the tagand can be produced during manufacturing of the package.

Certain identifiers placed on the package can be deteriorated, removedor modified. Certain identifiers are particularly sensitive to pressureor bending and may be easily broken. In particular, the portion packageis submitted to relatively high forces during mechanical and/orhydraulic closing of the beverage brewing unit around or onto thepackage.

As a result, the identifier can be damaged and is no longer readable andthe capsule is irremediably wasted.

Furthermore, portioned package can be made of flexible walls, forpackaging cost reasons or others, the package is thus sensitive todeformation, and thereby the position and integrity of theidentification element, which is necessary for ensuring a reliabledetection, cannot be guaranteed.

With identifiers placed in the seam as in FR2912124, a reinforced partmay be necessary in order to ensure its physical integrity. It is somore difficult to connect the two flexible walls of the capsule togetherand to provide a good connection at the seam because of the presence ofthe reinforced portion (e.g., piece of cardboard or fibres) whichgenerally forms a localized excessive thickness.

Certain identifiers require a minimal length and specific positioning tobe read correctly. If not, the received signal is deteriorated, too weakor even not present. Therefore, placing the identifier on the package,in particular, at the seam may dictate important design constraints. Forinstance, the seam must be made larger, at least locally, and thecapsule might no longer fit correctly through the slider of the beverageproducing device or may require a specific orientation of the detectionpart of the capsule before being inserted in.

In particular, for detection technologies using an emission of amagnetic field emitted from at least one electromagnetic coil of thebeverage producing device, the size and the position of the identifieron the capsule are determinant to ensure a correct reading of themodified signal of the identifier. If the signal received by thereceiving electromagnetic coil is defective, this immediately results ina faulty or abnormal functioning of the beverage producing device.

The present invention aims at proposing a solution that provides morefreedom on the design of the capsule, ensures a more reliable signaldetection and is less prone to damage or deterioration of theidentifier, e.g., during handling of the capsule.

For this, the main principle of the invention is for a capsule includinga contactless identifier inside the cavity containing the beverageingredient. In particular, the identifier is at least partially embeddedin the mass of the beverage ingredient. As a result, the identifier isprotected from the external mechanical constraints. Furthermore, thedimensions and positioning of the identifier can be changed in a moreflexible manner without affecting the overall shape, structure and/ordesign of the enclosing package.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the invention relates to a capsule for the preparation of abeverage comprising:

a first and second covering wall connected for forming a cavitycontaining a beverage ingredient;

a contactless identifying element for identifying the capsule bydetecting the identifying element using detecting means of the beverageproducing device;

wherein the identifying element is disposed in the interior of thecavity.

In a mode, the identifying element is at least partially embedded in thebeverage ingredient. By “partially embedded”, it is meant that theidentifying element does not extend along its longer dimension along acovering wall of the capsule but at least one of the surfaces of theelement is distanced from the covering walls by a space filled withbeverage ingredient. More preferably, the element is fully embedded inthe beverage ingredient. By “fully embedded”, it is meant that at least90% of the outer surface of the element is distant from the coveringwalls of the capsule or separated from the covering walls by beverageingredient or a void.

More particularly, the identifying element can be amagnetically-responsive element for enabling detection of the capsule inpresence of an alternating current magnetic field produced by amagnetic-field producing device.

By “magnetically-responsive”, it is here meant that, in a generalmanner, the identifying element (or also referred in short as:“identifier”) has magnetic or ferromagnetic characteristics, inparticular, Barkhausen characteristics, corresponding to its specificcomposition and identifiable, or at least discriminable, compared toanother composition or relative to one or more magnetic characteristicsof reference, under the effect of magnetic flux provided byelectromagnetic detecting means.

Preferably, the first and second covering walls are connected along aperipheral seam such as by welding, crimping, gluing and combinationsthereof.

More particularly, the magnetically-responsive element is an elongatedelement, such as comprising one or more wires or one or more bands.

The wire or band is preferably oriented substantially along the medianlongitudinal axis of the capsule.

By “oriented substantially along the median axis”, it is meant that theelement including the magnetically-responsive material, e.g., wire(s),is aligned or parallel with the longitudinal axis or, eventually, isinclined relative to median longitudinal axis by an angle lower than 45degrees, preferably lower than 10 degrees.

The “longitudinal axis” of the capsule is meant to designate the axispassing through the centre of the capsule, orthogonal to the transversalplane of the capsule passing through the seam of the capsule andtraversing the first and second walls in their respective medianregions.

The element can indeed be parallel to the longitudinal axis of thecapsule and distanced from said axis by a few millimetres provided thata magnetic readable response is obtained enabling its identification.

An advantage of such particular orientation comes from the ability tomaintain a determined position of reference of the identifier relativeto the detecting means of the beverage producing device. As a result,the position of the capsule in the beverage producing device is notcritical as long as the position of the identifier in the device isitself maintained in this determined position of reference. Thisconfiguration also enables to greatly simplify the design of thecapsule. The external design and/or volume of the capsule can varywhereas still producing a readable signal. It also participates to thesimplification of the design of the beverage producing device, inparticular, in relation to the position, the size and the number of thedetecting devices.

In particular, the detecting means of the beverage producing devicecomprise an electromagnetic emitter and an electromagnetic receiver forcreating magnetic flux in proximity of the identifying element.

The emitter and receiver typically provide a magnetic field obtainedfrom an alternating current and forming a sinusoidal or triangularsignal at a relatively low frequency (i.e., 35-60 Hz). Upon exposure ofthe identifier to the magnetic field, one or more Barkhausen jumps (orvoltage pulses) are generated which are detected by the electromagneticreceiver.

In order for the identifier to be detected, the identifier extends in aposition substantially tangent to the lines of the magnetic flux asgenerated by the detecting device. Therefore, by placing the identifieralong the median longitudinal axis of the capsule, the emitter andreceiver can be placed anywhere relative to the capsule containing theidentifier but at proximity of the capsule and about the axis, or moreprecisely about the central axis of the brewing chamber which receivesthe capsule. These requirements can easily be taken into account and arelatively compact capsule holder can be designed to support and easilyintegrate the detecting device, i.e., the emitter and receiver.

The first and second covering walls can be made of flexible packagingmaterial such as thin aluminium, plastic, filter paper or combinationsthereof. The first and second covering walls may be intended to beperforated by perforated means of the beverage producing device forrespectively enabling the introduction of water in the capsule and thedelivery of the liquid extract from the capsule. In another mode, one ofthe covering walls can also be a substantially rigid body which isclosed by the second covering wall such as a flexible foil member or aflexible pre-perforated wall. In another mode, both covering walls canbe made of relatively rigid material and pre-perforated. In anothermode, the covering walls are formed of filter material such as a porouspaper or a plastic membranes with many small holes.

In a mode, the capsule can be symmetrical along a transversal planepassing through the peripheral seam and the magnetically-responsiveelement is so placed substantially perpendicular to the median plane(P). The symmetry of the capsule provides the advantage to ensure areading irrespective of the side of insertion of the capsule in thebeverage producing device i.e., when the capsule is in place or beingmoved to the capsule holder.

In a preferred mode, the magnetically-responsive element comprisesmagnetically-responsive material providing at least one Barkhausen jump.

The magnetically-responsive element may comprise at least a cover suchas a sheath, a strip, a label or ribbon containingmagnetically-responsive material. The cover provides the advantage to behandleable and easily and reliably orientable along its length inalignment with the reference axis of the capsule at the tangent of themagnetic flux. The cover, e.g., sheath, can be formed of an extrudedportion of plastic or other material (e.g., rubber, cellulose)surrounding the magnetically-responsive material. More preferably, thecover, e.g., sheath, is extruded around the magnetically responsivematerial. The cover, e.g., sheath, can be a tubular portion wherein thevoid is filled by the material. It preferably comprises a cylindricalouter surface although other shapes are possible such as ovoid, squareor rectangular. This element is also a more compact or economicalsolution compared to an RFID tag.

More particularly, the magnetically-responsive material is made of atleast one wire containing different chemical elements from the periodictable, in particular metals. The wire has a glass coating containingthese elements. For instance, the wire contains metals and/or othermagnetically-responsive elements such as metalloids. Typically elementssuch as Cobalt, Chrome, Iron, Silicium, Boron in different ratios,thereby form different combinations. Each combination of metals andmetalloids forms a metal based alloy. Each combination thus providesparticular magnetic characteristics, e.g., a particular magneticpolarity or hysteresis (B-H) loop, to the wire when excited by themagnetic field.

In a mode, the cover, e.g., sheath, contains a single wire. In otherpossible modes, the cover contains several wires. In a mode, the covercontains two wires or three wires. The wires are not necessarilyrectilinear but may be curved to some extent. The wires can be orientedin parallel in the cover or may be arranged in an elongated braid.Preferably, the wires are spaced apart a certain distance in the cover.

The cover can be made of material such as polypropylene, polyethylene,PET, polyamide, polystyrene, PLA, starch-based material, cellulose andcombinations thereof.

An individual wire typically provides a specific response profile,dependent on its composition, to the coiled receiver upon induction of amagnetic energy produced by the coiled emitter, at a certain frequency(e.g., 35-60 Hz). In particular, the wire can generate a specificcoercivity in the alternating electromagnetic signal thereby providing a“bit” of encoded information. Thereby, the combination of the differentwires provides various specific combinations of response profiles whichcan be obtained and compared to set profiles of the detecting device foridentification. Therefore, a specific magnetic response profilerepresents a unique code. In particular, a wire having same compositionof compounds will provide one code. Different wires having differentcompositions relative one another will provide different discriminablecodes. A plurality of micro-wires will therefore provide a multi-bitcode. The number of discriminable codes is so linked to the ability toindustrially produce wires of different compositions and to identifytheir response profiles and compare them to set references by thedetecting and control means.

Preferably, the magnetically-responsive wire has a longer dimension(length) of between 5 and 20 mm, most preferably of between 8 and 15 mm.The wire has a diameter comprised between 10 and 200 microns. Basically,the cover, e.g., sheath, contains one or several wires of length between8 and 15 mm and diameter of about 20-75 microns.

Typically, when several wires are extruded with the cover, e.g., sheath,the resulting element can have an external diameter of between 0.5 and 3mm, more preferably of between about 0.8 and 1.5 mm.

In a possible mode, the magnetically-responsive element can be furtherprotected in a protective outer casing to facilitate handling. Thecasing is preferably rigid to prevent the element to be bent duringhandling and forming of the capsule. The casing is also preferablyliquid-tight and resistant to pressure of liquid in the cavity duringbrewing of the beverage. Therefore, the element is isolated andprotected by the outer casing to avoid transfer of material from and tothe element. More particularly, the casing is at least partiallyembedded in the beverage ingredient. By “partially embedded” it is meantthat the casing is surrounded on at least 60% its surfaces by thebeverage ingredient, e.g., coffee powder or a void. As a result, thecasing is not easily accessible and protected, such as from externalpressure, by the ingredient itself or a void.

The casing can preferably be made of foodgrade plastic or othermaterial. For instance, it can be made of an injected polypropylene,polyethylene, polyamide, polystyrene or combinations thereof. Thethickness of the outer casing may vary depending on its mechanicalproperties but preferably its thickness is of at least 1.0 mm on allsurfaces surrounding the protected element (i.e., the sheath containingglass coated wire(s)).

Preferably, the protective casing forms a tubular portion extendingalong the median axis (I) of the capsule and closed at its both ends.

Furthermore, the casing may further extend by a disc portion from thetubular casing along the median transversal plane (P) passing by theperipheral seam of the capsule. This configuration enables to improvethe distribution of liquid in the capsule which traverses the beverageingredient, in particular, ground coffee. The disc portion forces theliquid entering the capsule, via one of the two walls, to flowtransversally along the surface of the disc portion. As a result, animproved wetting can be observed compared to a casing with no discportion, thereby resulting in coffee beverages with comparatively highersolids content. The results may vary depending on the dimension of thedisc portion, e.g., ratio of the disc diameter to the cavity diameter atthe median plane. Of course, the diameter of the disc is preferablyshorter than the internal diameter of the cavity along the median planebut, more preferably it is at least twice shorter than the internaldiameter of the cavity.

According to a preferred aspect of the invention, the beverageingredient is in compacted form in the cavity. By “compacted” it ismeant that the ingredient is formed as one or several tablets ofcompressed powder, such as roast and ground coffee powder. Theingredient can be compressed when placed onto one of the two wallsduring manufacturing or be compressed in a separate operation and thentransported onto the wall before sealing of the second wall.

A compacted ingredient prevents the identifier from moving therebyensuring a more precise location, as previously defined, even aftertransport and/or handling before its insertion in the beverage producingdevice. Compaction of the ingredient is carried out to form a foodelement that can be handled in one piece with the identifier embeddedtherein. The element normally resists breakage under a force of at least5 Newton applied on its lateral sides.

The invention also relates to a capsule for the preparation of abeverage comprising:

first and second covering walls connected at a peripheral seam forforming a cavity containing a beverage ingredient;

an elongated contactless element comprising at least onemagnetically-responsive wire for identifying the capsule by detectingmeans of the beverage producing device.

In a preferred mode, the at least one magnetically-responsive wire isplaced substantially orthogonally relative to the transversal planepassing along the seam of the capsule.

By “substantially orthogonal”, it is meant that the wire is purelyperpendicular to the transversal plane or inclined relative to thelongitudinal axis of the capsule of an angle lower than 45 degrees, morepreferably lower than 10 degrees.

The capsule can be symmetrical or non-symmetrical along the transversalplane passing through the transversal seam.

In a mode of the invention, the capsule comprises a cup-shaped body anda bottom wall sealed onto the body; wherein the identifying element isconnected to the inner sidewall of the body.

The bottom wall can comprise a tearable membrane, e.g., aluminium and/orplastic, or a porous wall or a combination thereof.

The present invention also relates to a beverage producing deviceadapted for receiving a capsule as aforementioned, said devicecomprising:

a brewing unit for receiving the capsule in a brewing chamber,

detecting means for detecting an identifying element contained in thecapsule,

wherein said detecting means are positioned substantially coaxiallyaround the median longitudinal axis of the brewing chamber.

The present invention also relates to a beverage producing systemcomprising a beverage producing device adapted for receiving a capsuleas aforementioned, said device comprising :

a brewing unit for receiving the capsule in a brewing chamber,

detecting means for detecting an identifying element contained in thecapsule,

wherein said detecting means are positioned to detect the identifyingelement of the capsule when placed substantially along the medianlongitudinal axis of the brewing chamber.

The identifying element of the capsule is placed “substantially alongthe longitudinal axis of the brewing chamber” when its longerdimension's axis is aligned with or parallel to the longitudinal axis ofthe brewing chamber or is inclined relative to said axis of the brewingchamber of an angle lower than 45 degrees, more preferably lower than 10degrees.

More preferably, the detecting means provide a magnetic flux in such amanner that the median longitudinal axis of the brewing chamber becomessubstantially tangent to the lines of flux. In particular, the detectingmeans are formed of a magnetic field producing-emitter and magneticfield producing-receiver. In particular, the emitter and receiver areformed of magnetic coils which are positioned in such a manner thattheir respective central axes are aligned with the median longitudinalaxis of the brewing chamber.

The identifier and magnetic coils of the emitter and receiver arepositioned relatively one another so that the identifier extends alongits longer dimension in a direction aligned or parallel to the centralaxes the magnetic coils. Of course, as already mentioned, a 45-degreerelative deviation, preferably 10-degree relative deviation is toleratedprovided the projected length of the identifier is sufficient forproviding a readable response.

The emitter and receiver preferably comprise circular electromagneticcoils. The electromagnetic emitter can comprise one or two coils. In apossible configuration, the electromagnetic emitter comprises a singleemitting coil and the electromagnetic receiver comprises a singlereceiving coil. In another configuration, the electromagnetic emittercomprises two coils and the electromagnetic receiver comprises one coil.The emitting and receiving coils can be placed on the same side or onopposite sides of the brewing unit. The receiving coil is preferably ofsmaller diameter than the emitting coil(s).

In an alternative, for a more uniform electromagnetic field, theelectromagnetic emitter comprises a Helmholtz coils configuration, i.e.,a first and second (i.e., or a pair of) emitting coils separated by adistance equivalent or close to the radius of the circular loops, whichproduces a homogeneous magnetic field in the median plane between thetwo coils. In a Helmholtz coils configuration, each emitting coil can beplaced on a respective side of the brewing chamber. A receiving coil ofthe receiver can be placed on one side of the brewing chamber,preferably inside one of the two emitting coils. The receiving coil ispreferably coaxial with the second emitting coil and placed along themedian longitudinal axis of the brewing unit.

Moreover, the detecting device comprises a shielding around the emitterand receiver to protect them against the external magnetic interference.The shielding preferably surrounds the brewing chamber. The shieldingpreferably isolates the emitter and receiver from the central controlunit of the beverage producing device.

The device furthermore comprises a control unit including an electronicinterface and programs for analyzing the information as received fromthe detecting means and controlling the device in response to saidinformation. The control includes selectively changing brewingparameters (e.g., temperature, volume, pressure, etc.) in the devicedepending on said information.

The present invention also comprises a capsule system comprising abeverage producing device and capsules adapted to be inserted in suchdevice as aforementioned.

In particular, the system is configured with capsules pertaining todifferent predetermined types; each type comprising capsules includingan identifying element providing the same ferromagnetic characteristicswithin the type and different ferromagnetic characteristics between thetypes. As a result, capsules pertaining to a same type can be detectedby the electromagnetic detecting means by providing a recognizablemagnetic response enabling to identify the capsules of a same type. Inparticular, the identifying element of capsules belonging to the sametype is made of the same composition of material, i.e., wire(s) ofmetallic alloy and the identifying element of capsules belonging todifferent types is made of different compositions of materials, i.e.,wire(s) of different metallic/metalloids alloys.

The capsule of the invention contains a beverage ingredient which can beground coffee, green coffee, soluble coffee, leaf tea, herbal tea,soluble tea, milk powder, cocoa powder, culinary powder, infant formulapowder and any combinations thereof.

The system further comprises detecting means and control means, asaforementioned, enabling to respectively detect the electromagneticprofiles of the elements in the capsules of each type and then identifythe capsules of each type.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features and advantages of the invention will be explained inrelation to the appended drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic cross section of the capsule of the inventionin conjunction with a detecting device of the beverage producing device;

FIG. 1A is a cross-section and enlarged view of the identifier alongplane P of FIG. 1 according to a first embodiment;

FIG. 1B is a cross-section and enlarged view of the identifier alongplane P of FIG. 1 according to a second embodiment;

FIG. 2 illustrates a first detection mode in cross section when acapsule of the invention is placed in a beverage producing device;

FIG. 3 illustrates a second detection mode with the same capsule incross section of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a partial cross section view of a capsule according to asecond embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of the capsule of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a detail of the encased magnetically-responsive element of theinvention;

FIG. 7 is a partial cross sectional view of the capsule according to athird embodiment;

FIG. 8 illustrates another embodiment of the detecting device in aHelmholtz configuration;

FIG. 9 illustrates a cross section view of a variant of the capsule ofthe invention;

FIG. 10 illustrates an example of the emitted and received time-relatedvoltage signals for a capsule containing an identifier;

FIG. 11 is a schematic cross section of the capsule according to avariant.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In reference to FIG. 1, the capsule 1 of the invention is intended to beplaced under the magnetic influence of a magnetic detecting device 2, orsensor, at a predetermined location and distance. The magnetic detectingdevice 2, or sensor, is preferably positioned in the beverage producingdevice (not shown) and is activated when the capsule has reached thedetection operational position as will be explained later on. The sensorprovides signals to an analyser (not shown) associated to the sensorwhich can be placed remotely from the sensor in the beverage producingdevice.

The container of the capsule can be symmetrically formed of a first wall3A and an opposed wall 3B. The two walls may be permeable or impermeableto the liquid. If impermeable to liquid, the two walls 3A, 3B will beopened, such as by perforation, before or at the time of use in thebeverage producing device. The walls may further be impermeable to gaswhen a gas barrier layer is present in each wall, e.g., a layer of thinaluminium or EVOH. The container may further comprise internal filterlayers such as of paper filter for instance. The two walls may also beformed entirely of filter paper.

The two walls 3A, 3B connect together at a seam 4 along a mediantransversal plane P. The seam can be produced by welding of a peripheralportion of each wall. The seam is preferably resistant to tearing andmay be reinforced by additional layers such as cellulose (e.g. paper),polymeric fibres, plastic, rubber and the like. The walls can beflexible for facilitating forming during manufacturing and reducing thepackaging material content. The walls can have an inner layer made of alayer compatible to sealing such as oriented polypropylene (OPP). Thewall may also contain a decorative layer. In a preferred packagingconfiguration, each wall is formed of a multi-layer comprising thefollowing layers (from exterior to interior): PET/Colourlayer/Adhesive/Aluminium/Adhesive/OPP. The aluminium layer haspreferably a thickness between 10 and 80 microns, an OPP (i.e., orientedpolypropylene) layer has a thickness of between 5 to 40 microns and PETlayer of between 5 and 40 microns.

The walls could also be formed of filter paper and a welding layer forthe seam or a combination of aluminium, filter paper and plastic.

The connected walls 3A, 3B delimit an internal cavity 5 which can be atleast partially occupied by beverage ingredient 6. In a preferredembodiment, the ingredient is roast and ground coffee. The beverageingredient is preferably in compacted form such as a tablet. At theperiphery of the compacted mass, an annular void 7 might be present.Eventually, the cavity may be placed under partial vacuum before sealingat the seam for preventing the walls to deform outwardly due to gas(e.g., CO₂) release from coffee powder. The resulting general form ofthe capsule can be a symmetrical lenticular container of substantiallyconvex surface on both sides.

According to the principle of the invention, a contactless identifyingelement 8 is placed inside the cavity 5, more particularly within themass 6 of ingredient.

Since the mass is compacted, the element 8 is firmly maintained in arelatively precise location within the capsule. As a result, althoughthe element is invisible from the exterior, the capsule becomes reliablydetectable when placed in a predetermined position relative to thedetecting means 2.

More preferably, the identifying element is formed of a plastic, e.g.,polypropylene, extruded sheath containing magnetically-responsivematerial, which is substantially aligned relative to the medianlongitudinal axis I of the capsule which traverses the first and secondwalls 3A, 3B substantially in their central regions 9. The element canbe rigid, semi-rigid or flexible. However, when placed within thecapsule it should be at least maintained rectilinear to ensure a correctdetection. Due to its central location combined to the mass ofingredients surrounding the element, even if relatively flexible, theelement is difficult to bend without damaging the outer package and inthat respect it is relatively well protected against external mechanicalconstraints.

As illustrated in FIG. 1A, the identifier 8 contains amagnetically-responsive element in the form of a sheath 40 containing aparticular material composition sensitive to a magnetic field. Thematerial is capable of altering the voltage magnetic signal by producinga clearly identifiable Barkhausen jump when excited by a magnetic fieldprovided by an electromagnetic emitter. For instance, three or moremetal alloy-containing wires 41, 42, 43 coated by a very thin glasscoating 45 are embedded in the sheath. The multiplicity of wiresprovided in the identifier enables to provide a more complex signal,e.g., a plurality of jumps (essentially, one discriminable jump or pulseper wire) therefore more codes available. The wires are preferablyseparated by a distance of at least 0.5 mm, preferably a distancebetween 1 and 2 mm. If the wires are too close to each other, theresponse of one wire is influenced by the presence of the other wire andcan generate errors in the interpretation of the signal. The sheath ispreferably made of plastic, such as polypropylene, polyethylene,polyamide and combinations thereof. The sheath provides an additionalthickness to the wires for facilitating their manipulation and insertionin the capsule. It should be noted that the sheath can take a differentcross-section, for instance, a rectangular or triangular form.

In FIG. 1B, the identifier 8 is also formed of a sheath 40 surrounding asingle metal alloy-containing wire 44. The diameter (d₂) of a wire isgenerally of about 25-75 microns. The diameter (d₁) of the sheathdepends on the number of wires in the element but it should besufficient to facilitate handling and positioning in the capsule. Itsdiameter is typically between about 0.8 and 1.5 mm.

As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, an emitting coil 10 induces, at acertain frequency (e.g., 10 to 150 Hz), magnetic energy into theidentifying element 8. Depending on the energy level, the molecularpolarity of the wire(s) will change and can thereby be detected as aspecific response profile by a receiving coil 11. This effect is knownas Barkhausen effect and it can be detected by the receiving coil.Therefore, the response profile of the magnetization or flux densitycurve changes depending on the particular metal composition of the wire.The alloy material for the wire and its manufacturing method aresecurely controlled to ensure the repeatability of the altered magneticsignals. Hence, a same wire composition will so produce a repeatable andidentifiable profile response.

FIG. 2 shows a first embodiment in which the detecting device 2 isplaced at the injection side of the brewing unit 12 of the beverageproducing device 13. The device 13 further comprises a water tank 14, awater line 15, a water pump 16 and a water heater 17. The water line 15communicates with the water feed part 18 of the brewing unit. Acontroller 22 is also provided in the device for operating the beverageproducing machine. The controller can comprise the analyser for thedetecting unit 2 for receiving and treating the signals coming from thedetecting unit and setting in return the brewing parameters forcontrolling the elements of the device, e.g., the pump, water heater,etc., accordingly. The analyser can be formed of an electronic microchipthat controls the detecting unit and validates the accuracy and validityof the capsule detected.

In other possible applications, the detecting means and analyser couldbe placed outside the beverage producing device. For instance, thesemeans could be installed at the capsule manufacturing line or at aninventory control area to control the presence the identifier in theproduced capsules, identify or sort the capsules.

The capsule 1 of the invention is further maintained in the brewingchamber 19 of the unit by a capsule holder 19 comprising beveragedelivery means 20, e.g., a liquid duct. When the capsule is inserted inthe brewing unit 12, e.g., on the lower parts 19, the identifier 8 ispositioned with its median longitudinal axis I substantially alignedalong median axis A of the brewing chamber 31. Identification can bestarted before or after closing of the brewing chamber 31. Closing ofthe brewing chamber is carried out by relative movement of the two parts18, 19 and pinching the capsule along its seam. The detecting means 2can so be positioned on the injection part 18 about the axis A. Theemitting coil 10 and receiving coil 11 are thus in coaxial configurationaround axis A. The receiving coil 11 is preferably placed closer to theidentifier 8. In order to allow detection, the lines of magnetic flux 21generated by the detecting device 2, (i.e., electromagnetic coils 10,11) are maintained substantially tangent to axis A, thereby makingpossible the detection of the identifier. It should be noted thatdetection could be possible with the median axis I of the capsuleforming a low angle of inclination relative to the median axis A of thebrewing chamber. Such angle is preferably no larger than 30 degrees,most preferably, no larger than 10 degrees. Therefore detection of thecapsule can be carried out during the transfer of the capsule to thebrewing chamber. However, most preferably, the capsule is maintainedstatic relative to the beverage producing device during the detectionoperation.

FIG. 3 is a variant in which the detecting means 2 are placed in thecapsule holder 19 still about the median axis A of the brewing chamberto make possible the detection of identifier 8 in the capsule when thecapsule is placed in the brewing chamber 31.

In FIGS. 4 to 6, the identifier 8 is embedded in a protective casing 23such as a thick and rigid plastic element. The casing comprise a tubularlongitudinal portion 24 for receiving the portion of sheath (includingone or more glass coated wires) inserted therein. The tubular portion 24is preferably liquid-tightly closed to avoid ingress of liquid duringbrewing. It should be noted that the magnetically-sensitive identifier 8can extend on the same distance (d) from each side of plane P so that itoffers the same readability with the detecting means whatever the sideof insertion of the capsule in the brewing chamber. In an alternativethe element 8 could also extend on a different distance (d) from eachside of median transversal plane P. The casing could, for instance, alsoabut on the surface of the ingredient to contact at least one of thecovering walls 2, 3. For protection, the identifying element 8 ispreferably of a length L smaller than twice the distance d. Furthermore,its ends are preferably inset relative to the ends 26, 27 of the casing.

The casing can be provided with a disc portion 25 which protrudes fromthe centre of the casing along the central plane P. The disc portion mayassure several functions, one of which can be to enhance the positionand stability of the casing in the mass of beverage ingredients inparticular before compaction of the powder to form the tablet. Thecasing is less prone to moving during compaction of the ingredient intothe tablet and can be better maintained along its extension axis I.Another function of the portion of disc 25 is to force the flow ofliquid traversing the capsule from wall 2 to wall 3 to be guided intransversal direction above the portion of disc. It is observed that theportion of disc influences positively the wetting of the beverageingredients, in particular, for compacted coffee. The portion of disccould also be provided with several through-openings for distributingthe flow also through the casing. The casing has closed ends 26, 27obtained by an internal insert which fills the gap between theidentifier 8 and the casing outer portion 23.

Of course, a slight deviation of the identifier relative to the axis Ican be tolerated depending on the performance of the detecting means andof the identifier and their locations. In particular, a deviation of+/−45 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis is considered orientedsubstantially along axis I. However, most preferably, a maximaldeviation of +/−10 degrees is recommended. In case, the identifier isinclined relative to axis I of a certain angle (a), the length (L) ofthe identifier should be maximized to remain readable such that itsperpendicular projection, representing L. cos a on axis I, is sufficientto provide an axial component, i.e., preferably between 5 and 10 mm. Theidentifier may also as well be disposed in a parallel offsetconfiguration relative to axis I. Also several individual identifierscan be disposed in the capsule, e.g., in parallel or slightly inclinedconfiguration.

In FIG. 7, the casing has a portion of disc 28 of larger diameter thanthe diameter of disc 25 of the former example. The upper wall 3A isshown when perforated by multiple holes 30 for water to enter in thecapsule. The flow of liquid is thus even more forced towards theperiphery of the cavity 5 (See arrows 31).

In general, the disc portion (28) may also be traversed by multipleapertures to distribute liquid through the capsule more uniformly. Theapertures may present different diameters depending on the flow patternto be achieved in the capsule.

FIG. 8 illustrates a beverage brewing unit according to anotherembodiment of the invention with a capsule inserted therein. For thedetecting device, the electromagnetic emitter 10 is here configured asHelmholtz coils, respectively first and second coils 10A, 10B. The firstand second emitting coils 10A, 10B are separated by a distanceequivalent or close to the radius of the circular loops of the coils,which produces a homogeneous magnetic field in the median plane betweenthe two coils. The two coils are preferably conducting circular coilseach having N turns and each carrying a current separated by a distancepreferably substantially equivalent to the radius of the circular loopsin order to produce a homogeneous magnetic field in the median planebetween the two circular coils. A receiving coil 11 is placed inside thesecond coil 10B. Each emitting coils may, for instance, be formed of acopper coil wire of diameter of 0.1 mm and with about 1000 turns. Thereceiving coil may be a shorter-diameter coil, e.g., made of a copperwire of diameter of about 0.1 mm and with about 1300 turns. In order toreduce the interference with outside electromagnetic sources, ashielding 50 against electromagnetic waves can be provided about thedetecting device 2. The distance between the receiving coil and thecapsule should be relatively small to ensure a correct detection of thereceived signal. Such shielding can be DC motor magnets, for instance,or a Faraday cage. The Faraday cage can be formed of a metallic housingplaced around the brewing unit. It may also be a metallic lattice or ametallic painting.

In FIG. 9, the capsule of the present invention is non-symmetrical atits seam 4 and comprises a first covering wall 3A forming a cup-shapedbody 60 with a lateral flange-like rim 61 extending outwardly. A secondcovering wall 3B forming a bottom wall 62 is sealed at seam 4 onto therim 61. The bottom wall 62 can be a liquid-tight foil or be a filterelement. The capsule contains beverage ingredient 63 such as groundcoffee, tea, cocoa powder, milk powder and combinations thereof. Thebeverage ingredient may be in loose form in the capsule althougheventually compressed to a certain extent before filling the body. Inthis mode, a magnetically sensitive element 8 is positioned and securedat the inner sidewall of the capsule. The element also extends as one ormore wires oriented substantially along a linear direction J forming ashort angle C relative to median axial direction I of the capsule. Theelement 8 is substantially orthogonal to transversal plane P passing viathe seam 4. The direction J forms an angle of preferably less than 10degrees relative to axis I, most preferably an angle between 0 and 8degrees. The element 8 can be fixed to the inner side of the capsule byan adhesive label 64. It should be noted that the label can form thesupport for the wire(s) or for an extruded element including the wire(s)as described previously in relation to figures lA and 1B. In the presentembodiment, the identifying element 8 is protected by the rigid body butremains oriented substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis I foroffering proper reading by the detecting means 2 placed at the brewingunit as aforementioned.

The identifying method is carried out according to the followingprinciples. The emitting coil (or coils) placed in the vicinity of thebrewing unit, in the relative position described previously, excites theidentifier to produce a sine-wave exciting signal. The emitted signal 70(FIG. 10) without alteration forms a sinusoidal voltage signalrepresentative of the electromagnetic field produced by the emittingcoil. The signal is altered by the identifier in such a way that aBarkhausen effect affects the signal at predetermined phase locations ofthe signal, e.g., by a clear idenfiable jump at a certain position ofthe sine wave. The Barkhausen jump is due, as known per se, to a fastremagnetisation of the wire-element which produces a particular responseto the applied magnetic field. If the voltage response is detectedduring this process in the receiving (“pick-up”) coil(s), itmaterializes into one or more sharp peaks of the voltage signal relatedto time. This alteration is detected and analysed by comparing thedifference resulting from the magnetic reference signal and the alteredmagnetic signal. For example, the difference between the emitted ACsignal 70 of the emitter and the altered signal received by the receiveris represented by the signal's curve 71 illustrated on FIG. 10. Moreparticularly, the position (i.e., coercivity) of the jump or jumps (or“peaks” 74-75) on curve 71 is measured and compared to different rangesof positions (i.e., coercivity ranges). Each range is thereby linked toa particular code corresponding to a type of capsule. Other parameterssuch as the amplitude and duration of the jump could be measured andidentified to reference parameters to fine-tune the identification ofthe code.

FIG. 11 illustrates another possible variant of the capsule of theinvention. In this embodiment, the identifying element 8 is maintainedin a predetermined position inside the cavity of the capsule by anadditional positioning member 80. The additional positioning member 80determines the position of the identifying element 8 in the cavity,preferably, along longitudinal axis I of the capsule. In this case, thebeverage ingredient does not create a support for the identifyingelement and could be either compacted or loose beverage ingredient or acombination thereof. The positioning member can be an elongated bracingmeans having at least one of its end 81, 82 in contact or connected to acovering wall 3A or 3B of the capsule. Preferably, a first end 81 comesin abutment against the covering wall 3A and its other end 82 comes inabutment or is connected to the second covering wall 3B. The positioningmember 80 can further comprise a tubular portion 83 that encases theidentifying element 8. The identifying element could be press fittedand/or glued into the tubular portion 83. Of course, the positioningmember can take many other different shapes. For example, the two ends81, 82 could be sealed to the covering walls. It should also be noticedthat at least one of the covering walls could be open at the centre ofthese ends such as if the ends are sealed to the wall and hollow ortubular in their centre such forming a kind of conduit for theidentifying element.

Although the invention has been described in relation to preferredmodes, other possible variations are possible in particular in view ofthe detecting technology and the type of identifier. Also, the capsulemay take different forms which are not necessarily symmetrical alongplane P. For example, the capsule can have a cup-shaped body closed by amembrane. The capsule can also be formed of partially rigid packagingmaterials.

What is claimed is:
 1. A capsule for the preparation of a beveragecomprising: first and second covering walls connected at a peripheralseam with the walls forming a cavity therebetween that contains abeverage ingredient therein, with the capsule having a longitudinalaxis, and wherein the beverage ingredient is compacted within thecapsule; and a contactless identifying element for identifying thecapsule by detecting the identifying element by detecting means of abeverage producing device; wherein the identifying element is disposedin the cavity with the beverage ingredient, and is positioned andoriented in the cavity such that the identifying element can be read bydetecting means positioned substantially concentrically around thelongitudinal axis of the capsule.
 2. The capsule according to claim 1,wherein the identifying element is a magnetically-responsive element forenabling detection of the capsule in the presence of a magnetic fieldproduced by a magnetic field producing device.
 3. The capsule accordingto claim 2, wherein the magnetically-responsive element is orientedsubstantially along the longitudinal axis of the capsule.
 4. The capsuleaccording to claim 1, wherein the capsule has a symmetrical shape aboutthe peripheral seam and the magnetically-responsive element is elongatedand extends, along its longest dimension, substantially perpendicularlyto the transversal plane.
 5. The capsule according to claim 1, whereinthe magnetically-responsive element comprises magnetically-responsivematerial providing at least one Barkhausen jump in a detectedtime-related voltage signal in response to the electromagnetic field. 6.The capsule according to claim 5, wherein the magnetically-responsiveelement comprises at least one cover, sheath, strip, ribbon or labelcontaining the magnetically responsive material.
 7. The capsuleaccording to claim 5, wherein the magnetically-responsive materialcomprises at least one wire having a core of a combination or alloy ofdifferent metals, metalloids or other magnetically-responsive componentsand a glass coating surrounding the core.
 8. The capsule according toclaim 1, wherein the magnetically-responsive element has a longerdimension of between 5 and 20 mm.
 9. The capsule according to claim 1,wherein the magnetically-responsive element is elongated.
 10. Thecapsule according to claim 9, wherein the magnetically-responsiveelement is provided in a protective casing which is at least partiallyembedded in the beverage ingredient.
 11. The capsule according to claim1, wherein the beverage ingredient comprises roast and ground coffee.12. The capsule according to claim 11, wherein the beverage ingredientis compacted about the identifying element to align it in the capsule.13. The capsule according to claim 1, wherein the contactlessidentifying element is distanced from both the first and second coveringwalls of the capsule.
 14. The capsule according to claim 1, wherein theidentifying element is elongated and comprises lengthwise a longitudinalsurface delimited by two transversal ends and the element is in contactwith one or both of the first or second covering walls by at least oneof its transversal ends but not in contact along its longitudinalsurface with the walls.
 15. A beverage producing device comprising: thecapsule of claim 1; a brewing unit configured and dimensioned to receivethe capsule; and detecting means for detecting the identifying elementcontained in the capsule, the detecting means positioned substantiallyconcentrically around the median longitudinal axis of the brewingchamber.
 16. A capsule for the preparation of a beverage comprising:first and second covering walls connected at a peripheral seam andforming a cavity therebetween that contains a beverage ingredienttherein, wherein the beverage ingredient is compacted within thecapsule; and a contactless, magnetically responsive identifying elementthat identifies the capsule, with the element disposed in the cavity andat least partially embedded in the beverage ingredient; wherein thecapsule has a longitudinal axis and the identifying element is alignedalong or parallel to the longitudinal axis of the capsule by thecompacted beverage ingredient.
 17. The capsule according to claim 16,wherein the magnetically-responsive element comprises at least one partselected from the group consisting of a cover, sheath, strip, ribbon andlabel wherein the at least one part includes at least one wire having acore of a combination or alloy of different metals, metalloids or othermagnetically-responsive components and a glass coating surrounding thecore, with the magnetically-responsive element being elongated andhaving a longer dimension of between 5 and 20 mm, and with themagnetically-responsive element present in a protective casing.
 18. Thecapsule according to claim 16, wherein the identifying element iselongated and comprises lengthwise a longitudinal surface delimited bytwo transversal ends with the element located within the beverageingredient in the cavity and in contact with one or both of the first orsecond covering walls by at least one or both of its transversal endsbut not in contact along its longitudinal surface with the walls.
 19. Abeverage producing device comprising: the capsule of claim 16; a brewingunit configured and dimensioned to receive the capsule; and detectingmeans for detecting the identifying element contained in the capsule,the detecting means positioned substantially concentrically around themedian longitudinal axis of the brewing chamber.